KER vs MAHA Preview | Kerala and Maharashtra to face each other in their campaign opener for Ranji Trophy 2025-26

Kerala enjoyed a brilliant Ranji Trophy campaign last season as they made it to the tournament’s Final, where they lost to Vidarbha on the first-innings lead. Besides that, they have won three games while lost one game and drawn one game. They will look forward to winning this game and start their campaign with success in the tournament’s current season.

On the other hand, Maharashtra didn’t have an expected season last year in the Ranji Trophy 2025. They have won and lost two games each, alongside a drawn game. They will look forward to improving their numbers in the current season with a focus on winning in their campaign opener against Kerala. So, this game is going to be a crucial one for Maharashtra in their hopes for the ongoing edition.

Form Guide

Kerala: D W W W L

Maharashtra: W L L W D

KER vs MAHA Head-to-Head in FC Games

Kerala and Maharashtra have faced each other in two Ranji Trophy games so far, with both games ending in a ‘drawn’ result. So, both teams will aim to win this game and secure a 1-0 lead in this head-to-head battle.

Pitch and Weather

The surface at the Greenfields International Stadium is known for its bowling-friendly nature, where bowlers get better support compared to the batters. The pacers might have some early movement on the first day of the game, with consistent bounce forcing the batters to play cautiously.

The weather in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday will be quite hot, with the temperatures hovering around 32 degrees Celsius. There will be no rain threat throughout the entire four dats of the game.

Team News

Both teams will be playing their first game of the season, so they will aim to field their best playing XI in this game to win this game.

Kerala XI: Akshay Chandran, Rohan Kunnummal, Ahammed Imran, Sachin Baby, Salman Nizar, Mohammed Azahruddeen (C&WK), Baba Aparajith, Ankit Sharma, MD Nidheesh, Nedumankuzhy Basil, and Shoun Roger.

Maharashtra XI: Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankit Bawne (C), Mandar Bhandari, Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Arshin Kulkarni, Vicky Ostwal, Siddhesh Veer, Pradeep Dadhe, and Mukesh Choudhary.

Broadcasting Platforms

The Elite Group B game of the Ranji Trophy 2025, between Kerala and Maharashtra, will be digitally streamed on the JioHotstar app and website. For TV viewers, it will be live on the Star Sports Network.